Skateboarding has long been a popular form of recreation. This type of sport has been adapted to snow, in the form of snowboarding.
Snowboard design has developed predominantly from the ski industry and incorporates bindings, similar to those on skis, that clamp the feet into a stationary position on the ski. However, with snowboards, both feet are bound to a single “ski” or board in typically a diagonal orientation with respect to the length of the board. With these fixed stationary bindings, the rotational torque required for initiating turns is obtained by applying pressure to the inner or outer edge of the board.
Since the bindings are clamped into a static position, changing the position of the feet can only be done after releasing the bindings and then relocking them in the new position. This lack of movement of existing snowboard bindings results in limitations on their use. For example, walking to a ski lift with one foot removed from the snowboard is very difficult, since the other foot is bound in a diagonal position across the snowboard. This position results in an unnatural and awkward angle of the knee and ankle, and is a potential source of knee and ankle damage. Additionally, if a person falls while riding the snowboard, the fixed bindings do not allow knees and ankles to remain aligned, which may also result in an increased likelihood of physical injury. The static nature of the bindings also limits the maneuverability of the snowboard, when compared to the freedom experienced with skateboarding. An example of the limitation on maneuverability is the inability to ride the snowboard backwards while facing forward.
Alternate embodiments of existing snowboard bindings allow for adjustment of the angle of the binding with respect to the snowboard. These adjustments, however, require stopping to loosen the binding (typically locked with threaded fasteners which may require a tool for adjustment) for repositioning and tightening the binding after positioning is accomplished. No bearings are provided in the binding to allow free rotating movement, and some styles of adjustable bindings incorporate interfitting ribs which further impede free rotation even when the binding is unlocked. Major repositioning of one or both feet is not possible while the board is moving.
It is therefore desirable to provide a snowboard that has a binding that is dynamically and freely rotatable, to increase maneuverability and ease of use, and also to reduce risk of knee and ankle injury. These same principles are applicable to boards used in water sports such as wakeboarding and slalom water skiing.